Realistically, taking the long view, I am thinking that if they can take 6 of the 10, we should not complain too loudly.Even 5-5 would okay.

Here is what I see.If they were to win6 of 10, they would basically be maintaining what they have done all year and that is playing .600 ball.They are at .598 (close enough).To be 6-4 that means 2 of 3 from the Yankees, split with Tampa, 2 of 3 at Baltimore.5-5 means either losing three of four from Tampa or losing two of three from the Yankees or O’s.

Losing 3 of 4 to Tampa would be very disappointing especially being home and a little disappointing would be going 1-2 at home with the Yankees, so if they are going to be 5-5, the most acceptable way would be taking those 4 of 7 at home and then going 1-2 in Baltimore.

While it would nice to go 7-3, let’s be a little real here.To do that means either taking 3 of 4 against Tampa or sweeping one of the others series.While I always hope, I never say they SHOULD sweep even against the worst teams.After, as bad as Houston may be, they will still win about 60 games before the season is over.They do beat good teams over the course of 162.Splitting with Tampa, while it doesn’t make then going away any faster, does take four games off the schedule with them.

Much has been made that Tampa has been hot.Do we think they aren’t going to lose again.They’re hot at this time.So have other been so far.The Orioles made a run and then fell back a bit; the Yankees made a run and they did the same.Toronto was getting uncomfortably close a couple of weeks ago and then they played the Red Sox.Now they are pretty back to where they were before they got hot (Their overall record is better, but GB is about where they were).And there a lot less games on the schedule going forward.One thing that will play out is that even though several teams are just 2-6 games behind, they do play each other and they will beat each other up.

The Red Sox have to take care of their business and that means playing somewhere in the .600 range.If they do that they will win 97 games and does anyone think that won’t be enough to win the East.My guess is 94-95 will get that done and 90-92 will get the top WC, while 88-89 might even snag the second.To get to 88, the Red Sox would have to be 30-35 the rest of the way.

I agree that 6-4 would be good, but Id be disappointed in 5-5. If they win tommorow, I ike their chances of sweeping NY. Split with Tampa, take two of three from Baltimore, and now your looking at 7-3. Very possible.

Of course a sweep is possible and I would like nothing better than to see them do so against the Yankees. It should not, however be an expectation. As for the Orioles, I mention losing two of three, because tht is really not that bad against a good team and the Orioles are a good team.

I subscribe to the win 2/3 at home and break even on the road. Do that and and you win 94-95 games. Do slightly better, especially on the road and that's 96-97. .600 ball.

What is the problem with that?

Let's be realistic. If a team were to win two of every three games all year, that would be 108-54 and in the history of baseball, how many teams have done that?

I also believe in 60-60. Every team wins 60 and loses 60, which is why a team that wins 100+ is really special and a team that loses 100+ is really, really bad. What makes the difference is what happens in the other 42.

If you look at most of the wins and losses for the Sox this year, they are those 4-1, 5-2, 7-3 types. Games that you can tell early on that maybe they just didn't have it that night. Then there are the games that good wins (those that they had no business winning, but they did). They are also the types of games that when they are over, you say, they would not have won that game last year. There are also the bad losses (the games that they just blew). So far this year, the good wins outweigh the bad losses by a lot.

A perfect example of them happened in the Seattle series. Losing that 7-3 lead in the ninth was perhaps their worse loss all year, but hey had two great wins where they were losing 5-1 and won them.

Things have been happening that make you say HMMM. Something's up this year.

All that being said, they do play one game at a time and obviously I want them to win that one game, then on to the next and so on. I just realize that they are going to lose evry now and then and don't freak out over each loss.